The Hylian Civil War
by Theodore Hastings
Summary: A year after Ganon's death, Hyrule is slowly rebuilding.  In a morning fog the Hylian Army  once lead by Zelda's father  returns home to find the castle in ruins.  The conflict between Princess Zelda and this army will once again throw Hyrule into war!
1. Prologue

**Princess Zelda**

**Telma's House and Bar, Hyrule Castle Town**

**7:00 a.m.**

**31 days before Declaration**

A brand new day brought with it yesterday's troubles. There were still papers to sign, people to meet, and reconstruction to oversee. Such was the duty of a Princess. After the hero had slain the evil king, her life had certainly changed…but she was not certain if it was for the better.

Her quill pen was the only voice in the room as she scraped its point across the parchment. She hardly read the title of the papers anymore, there were simply too many of them for her to care. She looked outside the window, trying to get a sense of the time. The sun had not been awake for long, but she had risen to work when the moon was still high in the heavens. She wanted to sleep, but work still needed to be done, and there was no one else who could do it.

A knock on the door startled her. "Oh, my goodness, please, come in."

The door opened to reveal a large, busty, dark woman in the hallway. She had in her hands a hot cup of tea.

She spoke with earnest sincerity "Uh, Your Highness? How long have you been up?"

The Princess massaged around her eyes with her fingers, "I am not exactly sure. I rose early to finish the paperwork I failed to do yesterday, and I must have lost track of time. What time is it, Telma?"

"Seven o'clock," the woman replied. "I was coming to get you some tea before you leave. They're some guards downstairs waiting for you."

"That must be my escort." The Princess rose from her desk and left the room. "I appreciate the tea, Telma. However, I will need to enjoy it later."

As she began her walk down the hallway, Telma called out to her, "Princess Zelda, you sure you're alright, honey?"

The young princess turned around and faked a smile, "Of course I am."

The guards did not see Zelda when she first entered the bar. They were in the middle of a discussion about the poor state of the nation.

"I mean, do we even know what blew up the castle? Has Zelda given anyone an explanation?"

Another guard spoke, "Well maybe she doesn't know herself. Who's to say that it wasn't just an accident?"

"Ha! Yeah right! An accident that destroyed the whole castle? Hardly. I think she knew about it the entire time, and is too ashamed to tell everyone she was too weak to do anything. If you ask me, none of this would've happened if the King was still here."

A third guard let out a sigh, "This again? We've been over this, the King left for Gods-know-where years ago to help some other country. We haven't heard from them since the problems here started, and how long has that been, a year and a half? If we haven't heard from the army yet, they're probably dead."

Zelda had heard enough, so she cleared her throat. The guards jumped on their feet and stood at attention.

The first guard stepped towards the Princess, "Your Highness, we are here to escort you to the city hall. An important message has been retrieved that requires your attention."

Zelda nodded, "Very well then. Let us proceed."

Outside in the streets, the townsfolk had started their daily routine of buying, selling, and traveling. Zelda and her escort followed the current of people to the center of town. She liked to look at the different citizens, with their different ages, occupations, and sometimes even species. It saddened her that she could not truly interact with them however; the guards would not allow anyone near her, in fear of an assassin.

Looking at some of the faces in the crowd, that possibility seemed quite reasonable; every time she left Telma's home, she was greeted by glares of hatred, from people who blamed her for their misfortune. While it was true that she knew the reason why Hyrule Castle had been destroyed, she refused to give any information as to how or why it happened. An honest explanation would reveal the existence of the Twilight Realm. So instead of lying to the masses, she willingly bore their resentment.

The party passed by a man in a monk's garb preaching to the passersby, "Dark times have fallen upon us, my brethren; but fear not, for the gods have sent us an angel to lift us up from the rubble!"

Zelda smiled hearing the man's words. Not all townsfolk believed that the fall of Hyrule was a tragedy. Just as many people believed that before all hope was lost, the gods had intervened and brought them a savior; a young swordsman who wore a tunic as green as the forest, and had the eyes of a feral beast. There had been many accounts of this hero in the past year: how he had brought the Goron Patriarch back from insanity, how he saved the Zora Prince from an untimely death, and how he had protected the entire Zora clan from the feared monster of Snowpeak.

As the group entered the center of town, Zelda glanced up to where Hyrule Castle once stood. The battle to vanquish evil was a costly one, destroying the castle as well as the lives of many civilians. While a reconstruction project was stared almost immediately afterward, the inhabitants of the castle had to find willing townsfolk who would allow them to stay in their lodgings until the new palace was complete. Zelda had heard of Telma and her group's attempts to protect Hyrule, and she believed the bartender would keep her safe.

The guards opened the double doors of city hall and Zelda walked through. Inside were a mass of aristocrats, waiting to hear the important message. The Princess was lead to a private room, where a knight in armor held in his hand a letter. The man went down on one knee as Zelda entered.

"Your Highness," the knight began. "I come from General Donphes, leader of the Hylian Army, to give you this letter. It is requested that you read it here, rather than alerting the nobles just yet."

The Princess turned the envelope over on its back. In red wax was a lion holding a sword and shield, the same lion that was painted on the knight's breastplate. As she opened the letter and read through it, her heart began to beat faster. She felt lighter than the letter she held, and had trouble finding words to say. At last, she managed to squeeze out two simple words:

"Father's home."


	2. Chapter 1

**Princess Zelda**

**Outside Castle Town's East Gate**

**10:00 a.m.**

**30 days before Declaration**

The fog was so thick the next morning that Zelda could almost taste it. She waited for the arriving army with her guards, a few nobles, and the messenger, who had introduced himself as captain Attics.

He was a large man, with a full blond beard and long wild hair. His armor was the color of copper, yet it was so damaged that indents were found in most pieces. The only polished part of his suit was the red lion stamped proudly on his chest. The most profound portion of Attics' appearance however, was the fact that he was missing an ear.

The Captain stood next to Zelda, making sure that she was always slightly in front of him. He went to attention when the princess turned to him.

"Captain, when did you say the army would arrive?"

"Donphes said he'd be at the gates around ten o'clock today," He was silent for a moment, then quickly added "Your Highness."

Zelda smiled slightly. It was obvious that he was not used to speaking to someone higher than himself; not respectfully anyway. When he had delivered the letter he spoke as if he had been given a script to read from.

The two quickly turned to the dense fog when they heard the sound of clanking armor. Out of the mist a deep and gruff voice shouted, "Attics! Where are you?"

"We're over here! The princess wants to meet ya Donphes!"

The clanking grew louder as more soldiers came closer. The first soldier was coming into view, a middle-aged man in crimson armor.

He looked Zelda straight in the eye as he bowed to her, "Your Highness. I am General Donphes, leader of the Hylian army. It gladdens me to see that-"

"Excuse me, General, but is the leader of the Hylian Army not the king?" asked Zelda.

The general frowned slightly after being interrupted, "He _was_ for years. Unfortunately, the dead cannot lead the living."

Zelda remained silent for a long time. Her throat swelled and tears were born in her eyes. The slightest quiver of her lower lip started as she thought she would never see her father again, but she knew better than to get emotional here. She contained her despair with willpower alone.

"I see. I was…not aware of his passing."

"He died in one of the last battles of the war. By that time we could no longer make any contact with Hyrule. Now, princess, if you would be so kind as to let me and my men into the city."

"Oh. Yes, of course. Please follow me."

The citizens stared as hundreds of men in armor entered through the east gate. The men in uniform stared back, confused at the people's shock and fear. The soldiers did not feel welcome; it seemed as if they were invading their own home.

Above the arriving soldiers, Zelda, Attics, and Donphes walked on to the balcony of city hall. The morning fog had cleared, and the men stared with unbelieving eyes at the empty space where Hyrule Castle was. Donphes turned his head towards Zelda, shock still on his face.

Zelda began a half-truth explanation of what had happened the past year. She told the general that monsters had been gathering all over Hyrule, wreaking havoc among Hylians, Zoras, and Gorons alike. When all hope seemed lost, a hero came and drove the monsters away, before disappearing as quickly as he had arrived. The castle, Zelda explained, had been the setting of the final battle. It had been destroyed in the process.

Donphes looked at the princess skeptically, "So have you met this hero?"

Zelda knew that if she told the truth Donphes would want to know where the hero was. She did not want to take him from home a second time.

"No. I never had the pleasure." Zelda lied.

"Have you taxed the people to fund reconstruction?"

"There was no need. A man named Jovani gave a massive amount of money to rebuild the castle."

"Why did the Hylian guards not defeat the monsters themselves?"

"They…" Zelda remained quiet for a moment, wondering if she should answer honestly, "They were too afraid of the monsters."

Donphes scoffed. "Of course they were."

Trying to ease the tension, Attics stretched and yawned, "Well, I think we should get some rest, the trip here sure as hell was tough. Donphes, we should go find a place to stay."

The captain put his hand on Donphes' shoulder, trying to get him to leave. While still keeping eye contact with Zelda, Donphes bowed to his princess.

"I hope to see you soon, Your Highness."

"Yes, I hope so too." Zelda lied through her teeth.

Zelda walked down the flight of stairs from the observation deck. As she reached the bottom she stopped moving, hearing Donphes' voice in a locked room nearby. After learning he was talking about her, Zelda silently approached the closed door, and placed her ear against it.

"She is incompetent, that is all there is to it. If someone else were in charge, none of this would have happened. We would have a home to come home to!"

"Well, I'm sure she's doing her best," Attics reassured him. "A fight like that sounds like it would be like walking through hell, even for us."

Donphes sighed, "Attics, do you honestly believe a group of savage monsters would destroy the castle, and not the town? Do you believe a single man, no matter how powerful, could single handedly defeat them all? Do you believe a few monsters would make the entire Hylian reserve shake in their boots? That girl is lying to our faces, and I want to know why!"

Attics remained silent for a moment, "So, now that you've had your little hissy fit, what're you going to do about this?"

"I cannot do anything. I am in no position to find any information, it would be too suspicious...but you can."

Attics sounded offended, "As a spy?"

"As a friend, Attics. You are one of my best captains, and one of my closest friends. I know I can trust you."

Once again, Attics' voiced remained quiet. "Fine."


	3. Chapter 2

**Telma**

**Telma's House and Bar, Hyrule Castle Town**

**9:15 a.m.**

**28 days before Declaration**

Telma walked down the hallway to Zelda's bedroom, a cup of hot tea in her hands as usual. She knocked on the closed door, and heard the princess beckon her in. The bartender entered the princess' room to find her signing papers at her desk; same as always.

"Your Highness, would you like some tea?"

The princess rubbed around her eyes, "Perhaps later, Telma. I am afraid now is not the best time."

Telma looked at the exhausted princess with great sympathy. There was no doubt in her mind that Zelda was under immense strain, especially now that the troops had returned. Despite the will-breaking pressure she had on her shoulders, the princess refused anyone's help; not even the comfort of some tea from a friend.

"Alright then. You sure there isn't anything I can do for you, honey?"

"_I'm fine Telma!_" Zelda snapped.

The bartender stared wide-eyed at the young lady at the desk. She had never seen her show _any_ sign of honest emotion, let alone anger. The princess stared back at the large woman, completely ashamed of her lack of control.

"I-I am so sorry, Telma. That was completely unacceptable and it will never ha-"

Telma smiled and slowly shook her head, "I know you're stressed, honey. But you need to know that you have friends that want to help you. You just need to let us in."

Zelda smiled slightly, "Thank you, Telma…If you can, would you be willing to perform a special task for me, as a friend?"

Telma was puzzled, "What is it?"

"I have reason to believe that General Donphes has sent Captain Attics to spy on me."

"Wha? Why?"

"He believes that I am…incompetent."

Like a mother bear protecting her cub, Telma's blood began to boil. Who the hell was this old fart to say a thing like that? He deserved to be beaten to a pulp for calling her little princess incompetent!

"So," Telma said, as she dropped the teacup to crack her knuckles, "where can I find Donphes this time of day?"

Zelda quickly stood up, fearing that Telma had gone mad, "I do not want any harm to befall him, but thank you for your…concern. I would like you to keep an eye on Captain Attics, and see what he knows."

"Oh, alright." Telma said, slightly disappointed.

**Telma's Bar**  
><span><strong>4:52 p.m.<strong>

Captain Attics was no stranger to the bar. In a few short days of his return to Hyrule, he had become one of Telma's more frequent customers. It seemed that he liked nothing more than to sit down, have at least four pints of ale, and leave the bar; sober as a nun.

Telma knew that in order to get him to talk, she may need to do more than just give him ale, she would have to resort to her secret weapon.

Just before five o'clock, the captain entered the bar. He had pulled his wild hair back into a ponytail, save for a few strands that hung in his face. The copper armor he had worn two days ago had been replaced by simple work clothes.

He did not hesitate to walk directly to the bar, "How 'bout an ale?" he said with a grin.

"Sure thing, sugar." Telma winked.

As Telma reached behind her for a glass, she stopped,

"What's that smell?"

Attics looked confused. He sniffed around, and curiously lifted an arm to investigate. In disgust, he said "That would be me. I've been sweating my ass off working on the reconstruction. Gotta make a living somehow right? Now where's that ale?"

Breathing from her mouth, Telma gave the soldier a pint. When he had finished with that, she gave him another, then another, and then another. After nine ales, the captain seemed to have trouble keeping his balance.

Telma thought now would be a good time to ask questions, "So honey, how you feelin'?"

Attics replied with a large belch.

"I thought so." Telma smiled, "So how's the building comin' along?"

"Wha-What buildin'?"

"The castle."

Attics chuckled, "How woul d'I know? Haven't been there much."

Telma stared at him, a puzzled look on her face "Didn't you say you've been working on the reconstruction?"

The captain chuckled again, "Pfffft. No. I can t'do a godsdamn thing with Donny boy makin' me scoop dirt on the—the…uhhh."

"Princess?"

Attics put a grimy finger to his lips, "Shhhh! It's top sthecret! I was runnin' along th'whole castle lookin' fer evid…Shhhh! I can't tell anybdy!"

Telma quietly thought to herself, _Damn, I was so close! Oh well, looks like I have no choice but to use it._

Telma prepared herself for her ultimate tools of persuasion. She put her hands on the bar table, making sure that Attics had a clear view of her cleavage, "You can tell me, sugar."

The captain stared at the woman's bosom, "Uuuhhh…Hey, y'know what? Donny boy's gonna be here ta talk with me in a couple days, ifya wanna come."

Telma smiled, "Wouldn't miss it, honey."

-

**Telma's Bar**  
><span><strong>9:26 p.m.<strong>  
><span><strong>26 days before Declaration<strong>

As the drunken captain had stated, Donphes entered the bar two days later. He looked around in search of Attics, but could not find him. Not only that, he did not see the bartender either. Ignoring his curiosity, the general silently took a seat at the back of the bar.

After ten minutes had passed, Attics entered as well. He quickly found Donphes and walked to the back table.

"Did you order a drink?" Attics asked.

Donphes shook his head, "I did not find the bartender. Besides, this is not an appropriate time to drink. What have you found?"

Attics took a seat opposite of his friend, "Not much. If Zelda's responsible for the castle's destruction, nobody knows about it. Supposedly a great big barrier covered the castle for a while, and a giant eight legged monster with a spear destroyed it. Not soon after that the castle exploded, as if by bombs. Word is that there really was a large increase of monsters about a year and a half ago, but they've been slowly going down after the castle blew up."

"What about this Jovani fellow? Zelda stated that he is the sole contributor to the reconstruction fund. Did you manage to find him?"

"Yeah, and he's a nut-job. Says that ghosts came and took his soul in exchange for money, and a dog helped him get his soul back. I also learned that he had been dating my ex-wife, who apparently left me while I was away. I punched him in the face."

"I see. Good work." Donphes nodded, clearly ignoring the last remark. "Did you find anything out about this 'hero' Zelda mentioned?"

"What, you mean you haven't heard any rumors yourself? Everybody seems to know about this guy; Link, I think is his name. According to rumor he's been acting like a one-man army fighting off the monsters and saving people." Attics smiled, "Sounds like the kind of guy I'd want on my side in a fight."

"Yes, he does. Does anyone know where he is now, or where he came from?"

Attics shook his head, "If they do, they aren't talking. Last time anyone saw him, he was going to Hyrule Castle before the barrier broke."

Donphes remained silent for a moment, "What if the princess was inside the sealed castle."

The captain shrugged, "It would make sense, I guess. The ruler of the kingdom being held captive."

"If that is the case, then I find it incredibly unlikely that the hero would miss seeing Zelda. She said she never met the hero; she lied to us."

"So what do you plan to do about this Link guy?"

"Nothing. If he had planned to remain loyal to Zelda he would have stayed with her. That girl is our true enemy. She disgraces the power of the Royal Family, and should be punished for it."

The two men soon left the bar. As the entrance slammed shut, Telma came out from behind her hiding spot, and quickly ran upstairs to tell the princess what she had heard.


	4. Chapter 3

**Princess Zelda**

**Zelda's Office**

**11:24 a.m.**

**19 days before Declaration**

The City Hall lurked in the corner of Castle Town Square, like a silent spy on its people. Before the Castle's destruction, it had been an abandoned warehouse where a few Gorons sold their goods. Now that the aristocrats needed a place to work, they kicked the merchants out and set up shop.

The main room in the building was a large circular area, which had been christened the "Council's Court" because it was the only place large enough to house all the nobles at once. From the Council's Court one could access a number of small rooms that branched off, or climb the spiral staircase to a second floor which eventually lead to a lookout on to the city.

As for the princess' office itself, she hated every inch of it. There were very few decorations in the room, and even fewer pieces of furniture; just a wooden chair or two and, of course, a desk for her to work on. The dark and windowless stone walls made her feel like she was in a dungeon, and the two guards standing outside the door certainly did not make the place feel more welcoming.

It had been a full week since Telma had alerted her of Donphes' meeting, and up to that day things seemed relatively quiet. The general seemed more occupied with his troops than with planning against her...at least, that was what she hoped.

But she had more important priorities at the moment: paperwork. She groaned at the thought, but between the pile of bills and Donphes, her paperwork was definitely the lesser of two evils.

"I do not care if she is preoccupied! Stand aside you fool!"

The gruff shouts of Donphes through the closed door pierced her ear. As she looked up, the general stormed into the little office, veins bulging in his face and a piece of paper in his hand. He slammed the parchment on the desk in front of her.

"What is this?" he snarled.

Zelda did not need to look at the document to know what it was, "It is the bill you advocated for regarding forced boarding for the soldiers that recently returned to Hyrule." She tried to keep as levelheaded as possible, ignoring the fire burning in her stomach.

"Very good. Now what is it missing?" Donphes spoke slowly, as if to make sure the princess understood what he was getting at.

Of course she understood. She had never passed it into law.

"General Donphes, there is good reason why I did not sign this bill."

"Is there?" the man scoffed. "I saw one of my Colonels in an alleyway on my way here yesterday. _ A Colonel!_ Begging in the streets like a common pauper! We risked our lives fighting for this kingdom and when we come home we are treated like a nuisance! What reason could there _possibly_ be to let this happen?"

"The citizens of Hyrule have enough troubles as it is. There are families with barely enough food to feed their children, let alone a group of soldiers. Not even I am forcing myself into a residence. It is only through the kindness of those generous enough to offer their homes that either you or I have a warm place to sleep, and that is the way it must be. I will not allow my people to suffer any more than is necessary."

"BUT WE'RE YOUR PEOPLE TOO!"

Donphes slammed his fists on Zelda's desk. His face had changed from its regular hue to a red as deep as his armor. The princess stood up at the general's outburst, meeting his hateful glare with one of her own.

"I understand how you must be feeling, but that does not excuse you to address me in such a horrendous manner. I will warn you only once, my dear general: know your place. I rule this kingdom, not you; and that is not about to change."

Zelda feared she might push the furious general over the edge, but just when his head seemed ready to burst, something changed in him. Some sort of restraint embedded in his mind must have broken free, allowing him to see an opportunity he knew he had to take.

His face slowly steamed back to its original color, and the lion's snarl on his face reverted to a stoic, almost content, nature. As he took a deep breath, he slowly bowed to his princess, making sure that he never broke eye contact with her.

"My apologies, Your Highness. It will never happen again. Please excuse me."

Without another word, the general walked out of the room. Leaving Zelda to wallow in her prison.

**Telma's House and Bar**  
><span><strong>11:39 p.m.<strong>  
><span><strong>18 days before Declaration<strong>

Zelda opened her eyes to the sound of loud bangs on her door. Her heart skipped a beat as the sense of danger haunted her mind. Behind the wooden doorway she heard the voice of a guard.

"Your Highness! I must speak with you immediately."

"What sort of matter could not wait for morning?" she mumbled as she opened the door.

The guard bowed as she appeared. Behind him were two other guards who did the same. "General Donphes has requested your presence at the Council's Court immediately."

"Has the General any reason for disturbing me at this hour?" the princess demanded.

"He only said it was a matter of utmost importance."

Of course he did, Zelda thought. Gods forbid he give any hint as to what he wants.

"Very well." Zelda sighed. "Just give me a moment to get dressed. If I am to have an audience I should at least look presentable."

-

**Council's Court**  
><span><strong>12:00 a.m.<strong>  
><span><strong>17 days before Declaration<strong>

The guards closed the doors behind Zelda as she entered the Council's Court. Despite their gentleness and caution, Zelda heard guards lock the door behind her. There was nowhere to go but forward; to a waiting Donphes in the middle of the room.

She glanced around. There were few people other than herself and the general on the first floor, but above them were murmurs and whispers abound. The Council's Court was only lit by a few torches around the circle; the people above on the second floor were lost to the darkness. They could see her, but she could not see them.

"Zelda, so kind of you to join us." The general smiled.

She almost cringed at the sound of her name. No one was ever allowed to address her so casually. Something was definitely wrong.

Zelda faked a smile, "The pleasure is all mine, Donphes."

"Do you know why you are here?"

"I suppose some sort of festival is out of the question?"

To her surprise, Donphes laughed. "No. But I assure you, there _is _something to celebrate."

He began to walk around her, in an interrogating way that reminded her of an attorney questioning a criminal. "Now Zelda, we are all very interested to know: exactly where _were _you when the castle fell?"

The princess grinned inwardly. For all his secrecy and ambiguity, Donphes was incredibly predictable. Thanks to Telma's eavesdropping, she was completely certain that the general was planning to exploit her, and this was his way of getting dirt on her while his supporters watched from the shadows. She briefly pondered who was listening to this little inquisition: upset nobles most likely, powerful figureheads who wanted leverage on her in order to get more money or land. Those despicable lot always flew around like buzzards looking for easy prey.

But they would just have to go hungry today. She was not going to get caught off guard this time. Donphes had nothing but what people _claimed_ to see, and that was about as useful as having nothing at all.

"To explain where I was I must tell you the story from the beginning:

"Almost two years ago, hordes of beasts began to surround Castle Town. At first I believed that the city walls would be enough to keep the creatures at bay, but soon I discovered that these demons were far more powerful and cunning than any we had faced before. They struck the castle itself, and set fire to the palace where they could. Many of the guards fled for safety, and it took the combined strength of myself and two scores of brave soldiers to rid the castle of the beasts. By that time the attack had claimed many lives.

"In fear of another attack, I sent a message to my old teachers: the ancient Sages that guard the Arbiter's Grounds in the Gerudo Desert. With their powerful magic, they were able to create a massive shield around the castle to keep the beasts at bay. Unfortunately, they did not have the power to protect the entire city, so I decided that the majority of the guards would leave to protect the citizens, while I and a few of my hand maidens remained in the castle.

"Despite my best effort, the creatures were too powerful to be kept at bay for long. In a matter of weeks a titanic eight-legged behemoth grabbed the barrier and shattered it with its trident. As soon as the shield fell my servants knew that the castle was lost. Regardless of my protests, they forced me into hiding in the house of an old friend, who lived on the outskirts of Castle Town. After hearing a massive explosion I looked outside to find a column of smoke where the palace once stood. When the smoke cleared a few hours later, I ran to find my home in ruins."

The silence of the void convinced Zelda that her little performance had worked. She had always been gifted with a silver tongue, which had spared her from many punishments in her youth. Nowadays she seldom used it, believing that honesty was the best policy. But whenever she had to get out of a situation she relied on her persuasive deceit. Even the general seemed to believe her.

But the moment passed, and once again Donphes was her interrogator. "A fantastic story Zelda, but a story all the same. Exactly how did you escape the castle without being spotted by anyone in Castle Town?"

"Come now Donphes," Zelda couldn't help but smile. "How many commoners do you believe have seen my face before this incident? I simply borrowed a dress of one of my hand maidens. It was simple enough to escape one's notice and I could leave the palace without anyone being the wiser. Even today I would wager that without my escort and regal clothing, I could blend into the crowd as easily as any citizen."

"I have a number of eye witnesses that state that the 'Hero of Hyrule' was seen approaching the shielded castle only moments before the barrier was destroyed. Yet they mention no one leaving the castle afterward, not even the Hero himself."

"If you rely solely on eye witness accounts you will leave this room very disappointed, my dear general. Think about the situation you are describing: someone sees the Hero enter the castle's first gate, then all of a sudden a horrifying monster destroys the barrier. Do you honestly expect anyone to stand by and wait to see if anyone leaves the palace? Of course not. Any man, woman, or child with any common sense would run for shelter; hiding in their homes or as far away from the castle as possible."

"Perhaps. But how do you explain-"

"Is this really the best you have Donphes?" Zelda smirked, "Question after question of my 'story' as you call it, with only the words of commoners to back your suspicions? If there is no physical evidence against me then you are wasting not only my time, but the time of every man above us as well."

At last, the darkness above her began to murmur against the general. Perhaps their time truly was being wasted. They were fortunate to be shrouded by the dark, for as soon as she discovered their identity Zelda would punish every single one of them; reserving the greatest punishment for the general.

Her smirk faded when she noticed Donphes' face. Now she _knew _ he had been pushed over the edge. He glared at her with a hatred for all she stood for. The lion's snarl on his face was half shrouded in darkness, as thoughts of murder must have danced in his mind.

"Saurus!" he shouted. "Bring me my evidence!"

Immediately an armored soldier approached the general. The upper portion of his face was covered by his helmet, but in his hands was a small chest, which he presented to Donphes as he went down on one knee.

Donphes removed a small item form the chest, but it was too dark for Zelda to see it where she stood. "What is it?" she asked, still confident in her performance.

The general spun around to face her with a broken rapier. The majority of the blade had snapped off, but the hilt was easy to identify. Donphes pointed the rapier at her as if it still had a blade. "I suppose you know whose sword this is."

Zelda felt the non-existent blade pierce her heart. It was the sword of the Royal Family. _Her_ sword. The blade that she had dropped when given Zant's ultimatum, and the blade Ganon forced her to use against the Hero. She must have left it in the throne room when the castle was destroyed!

Donphes lifted the broken blade to the void, which once again began to murmur. "This is the sword of the Royal Family. A relic passed down from one king to the next, since the conquering of Ordon Province. It is a priceless symbol of the Hylian ruler's power...and a builder found it in the castle's rubble!"

He turned to the pale princess again, "Tell us Zelda: if you were so courageous in battling demons the first time, why did you leave your blade behind the second time?"

The murmurs grew louder, as the faceless judges turned their gazes back on the princess. But Donphes did not wait for an answer. "Why would such a 'brave and valiant' ruler as yourself leave behind something so valuable to herself and her nation? If you had truly fought against the monsters before, there should have been no reason for you to abandon your weapon when they attacked again...That is of course, unless you were too _afraid_ to face them at all."

"The creature that attacked the shield was massive!" Zelda protested. "At least the size of this room alone!"

"I am well aware of that. I am also aware that it disappeared immediately after the barrier was destroyed, as if that was its only goal. There were a few hours between that time and the castle's destruction; more than enough time to gather one's belongings and retreat. But this was found in the rubble. Which leads us to suggest that you never used it to defend yourself, or not the second time at the very least. Admit it. You fled the castle the moment it seemed you were in mortal danger!"

"There was no way for me to know the castle would be destroyed. If I had, I would have never left the royal sword behind. I needed to travel lightly in order to escape. If anything should have attacked us, I was sure that my companions could deal with them."

"You mean your hand maidens?" Donphes asked with a chuckle. The voices above him mimicked his laugh. "If your hand maidens were Sheikah, I would be inclined to believe you Zelda. But as everyone here is aware, all but one of the Sheikah left with us to aid the King in his war. I personally witnessed many of their deaths defending His Majesty on the field of battle.

"You have slipped Zelda." he smiled darkly.

She knew he was right. Despite her confidence in her story she had not expected him to have _proof_ of her presence in the castle. Now it was too late to tell the truth. An explanation of Ganon, Zant, and the Twili would only make her appear mad, or would prove she was an incompetent ruler. She had to stick with her lie, even if it meant looking like a coward to make the story believable

She tried to go on the offensive, "What would you have done, General? A horrendous beast destroys your greatest defense with ease and there are no soldiers to aid you. I doubt no one other than the Hero himself could charge into battle against those odds."

"Your father did." he replied with a hint of sadness. "It was soon after the enemy had surrendered. As we were making our way back to the ships we were ambushed by a squad of assassins disguised as our own soldiers. They killed His Majesty's Sheikah bodyguards in moments, and then turned their sights on him. Many of us were off celebrating our victory; drinking our grief away with fine wine. None of us noticed the murderers leaving the King's tent. When dawn arrived I went to check on His Majesty, only to find his body, and the corpses of his two bodyguards and four of his assailants.

"You see, he fought his killers to his last breath, even though he knew there was no chance of success. He was a powerful warrior as well as a caring ruler. _He _was worthy of our allegiance and respect! What makes y_ou _worthy of the same treatment?"

"Because I am your ruler now." Zelda quivered.

Donphes held up the broken sword again, "You mean the ruler that caused THIS?"

He displayed the blade once again to the abyss, "Take a good look, my friends. THIS is what the Royal Family has been reduced to. A broken, useless, shadow of its former glory! The castle is gone. The people are terrified. The country is in _ruins_! All because of this foolish girl's incompetence! Do you truly wish to serve one who places her own life above the lives of thousands? One who expects guards as cowardly as herself to protect her people, while she relaxes in her palace behind a magic shield? One who welcomes her soldiers home with a swift boot into the streets? She has made us suffer long enough my friends! There is no need to continue this torture any longer!

"I suggest we start over. Create a new Royal Family to replace the old, with a King who is as strong and cunning as our last one. A man of noble birth who can appeal to a Council of Nobles. A man who can protect the people from beasts and men alike, and who will fight alone if he has to!

"If you agree with me my friends, then please join me in my quest for change. Together, we can rescue Hyrule from this selfish girl. Together, we can extend our nation to lands far beyond the sea. And together, we shall bring Hyrule into a new era of prosperity!"

Roars of applause sang through the emptiness above. There were so many people up there, much more than she had thought. She could almost see their faces; glaring eyes of hatred underneath powdered wigs. A hundred judges voting for a new King: Donphes.

"This is treason!" she panicked.

"Treason?" the general scoffed. "This is reformation."

Donphes glanced behind Zelda and moved his head. Before she could think the guards that had escorted her grabbed her by the arms. She could feel the painful pressure increasing as she struggled to get free.

"What should we do with her, sir?" one of the guards asked.

"I believe the castle dungeon is still intact, is it not?" The guard nodded. "Perfect. Put her in there. I will be there shortly."

As the guards pulled her out of the Council's Court, Zelda looked over her shoulder to see Donphes; showering himself in the applause from the dark.

**Castle Dungeon**  
><span><strong>1:48 a.m.<strong>

The guards pushed Zelda into the moldy cell closest to the door. As she tried to keep from falling on the stone floor one of her heels broke, and she stumbled to the ground's embrace.

Zelda could feel the dampness soaking through her gloves and dress. The sound of water dripping from the ceiling had the consistent beat of a metronome. She could smell mold spores mixed with sewage. The only light in the dungeon was a single torch at the doorway; even the wooden door was drowning in filth.

The ex-princess guessed it was about half an hour before Donphes walked in. He turned to face her directly outside the cell, his face half draped in shadow like before.

Zelda's rage warmed her, as she stood up and grabbed the bars between her and her usurper, "How _dare_ you! You traitorous excuse for a man! I will see you hanged for this!"

The general responded to her anger with mocking sympathy, "I understand how you must be feeling, but that does not excuse you to address me in such a horrendous manner."

Zelda froze as the general used her own words against her.

Donphes grinned synically, "I will warn you only once, my dear princess. I rule this kingdom, not you; and that is not about to change."

Without another word, the general walked out of the room. Leaving Zelda to wallow in her prison.


	5. Chapter 4

**Captain Attics**

**Donphes' Office**

**4:14 p.m.**

**16 days before Declaration**

Attics pushed a guard out of the way and walked into Donphes' office. Uninvited, as usual.

The general did not even look up from his paperwork, "Something on your mind, Attics?"

Attics shrugged sarcastically, "Oh, nothing much, really. I was just a little curious as to _why you locked our princess in a dungeon!"_

The captain's shouting made Donphes jump, but he remained focused on the paper in his hands. "Zelda is not fit to rule; I have told you this on more than one occasion. The country is in ruins and I have taken the first step to bringing it to its former glory."

"By overthrowing the head of the government! I can get being pissed at what's happened to the castle. Hell, I even get looking around the rubble for clues. But what were you _thinking _Donphes! What the hell are we supposed to do without a ruler?"

"Hyrule has a new ruler."

Attics took a few steps back in disbelief. He finally realized what Donphes had been trying to do.

"You?" he said softly.

At last, Donphes looked his captain in the eye, "I see no one else more qualified for the responsibility."

"More qualified?" Attics let out a chuckle, "Donphes, you're about as qualified as_ I_ am. You're about as qualified as that guard I pushed on my way in here! You're about as qualified as my neighbor's cat who keeps me up at night begging for fish!"

"Attics, this is not a joke."

"YOU BET YOUR ASS THIS ISN'T! You're not just running an army here Donphes! This is way over your head!"

"Attics, relax. This was not a decision I made lightly. I know what I am doing."

"Like hell you do." Attics spat. 

As the captain stormed out of the office, he quietly muttered to himself, "I need a drink."

-

**Telma's Bar**  
><span><strong>4:37 p.m.<strong>

"How bout an ale?" Attics asked as he approached the bar. He rested his eyes as he tried to forget the past hour. It was times like this when he wished he could get drunk.

He heard no reply to his order; not even a plop of glass in front of him. That was strange. The reason he preferred this bar was because of the bartender's welcoming nature...that, and also her open blouse.

He opened his eyes to the deadly glare of the bartender. A chill went through Attics that made him step away from the bar.

"You. Me. Back of the bar. _Now._" was all the woman had to say.

The captain briefly considered asking what she wanted with him, but he feared she might kill him if he said anything; or even worse, give him that death glare again. So he fearfully obeyed.

The woman led him to the square table Attics had sat at only a few weeks ago. It was here where he had told Donphes all the information he had dug up about the princess and the castle. He looked back on that day in disdain. Why had he not realize what Donphes was doing? Was he that blinded by loyalty? Was he that blinded by friendship?

The bartender drew a curtain behind them, so the two could have a bit of privacy. "Alright Goldielocks. What has your flat-headed general done with my Princess?"

Attics tried to keep his distance, even though the angry woman was almost in his face. "I have no idea-"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence." she interrupted. "You know _exactly _what I'm talking about. And if I have to get you drunk off your ass again for you to spill the beans I'll do it. I'm not letting you leave until you tell me exactly what he plans to do with my Zelda!"

She was keeping her voice to a whisper, but even at that volume Attics felt like she was yelling in his ear. Her face was filled with a strange mixture of rage, sadness, and fear; like a bear in search of her cub.

Attics let out a sigh, "Look, I get that you're upset, but I don't really know his plans either. I just found out about it a couple hours ago myself."

"You must have _some _idea."

"I know how Donphes works, so yeah, I guess I have an idea."

"Tell me."

"I'm not sure you want to know."

"_Tell me._"

Attics sighed again, "Donphes is an aggressive guy. Whether he's fighting in a war or in an argument, he likes to crush his opponents to dust. He's also not an idiot. The princess is a huge threat to him, even if she's locked up. So he probably plans to..."

The captain stopped talking when he noticed the bartender turning a shade paler. "By the Gods..." she whispered.

She made a dash for the bar and pulled out some pieces of parchment and a quill from underneath the counter. She scribbled out four messages and dragged the mailman from his menu to deliver them.

"What are you doing?" Attics asked.

"Calling for help. There is no way I'm going to stand by and let that son of a bitch hurt her. I have a few friends that might be strong enough to get her away from him."

She tugged Attics' shirt so his face was an inch from hers, "And if you even _think_ about telling your buddy about this, I will personally cut off your last good ear...along with some other things. Got it?"

Attics could feel cool sweat beginning to form on his brow. He had faced entire armies before and never flinched, but there was something about this woman that made him feel like a helpless child. He made a quick nod to show he understood, and the woman released him.

With a silent sigh of relief Attics made his way to the exit, risking a brief glance back at the bartender. She was a terrifyingly aggressive bear of a woman who could rip him to shreds with a mean look...if this were any other day he might have asked her out on a date.

Unfortunately this was not any other day.

He had to come up with a way to get the princess to safety without harming Donphes, or there was going to be blood. Maybe it wasn't too late. Maybe he could talk Donphes into letting Zelda go without anyone getting killed. He groaned at the thought of trying to persuade his stubborn friend, but it was his only option.


	6. Chapter 5

**Zelda**

**Hyrule Castle Dungeon**

**1:56 a.m.**

**13 days before Declaration**

Zelda opened her eyes to the song of dripping water, just as she had done three days before. In the vacant darkness of her prison cell, she had little to do but recall the events that had brought her there: surrendering to Zant and plunging the world in twilight, hiding the truth of the castle's destruction, her overconfidence in herself in the face of the general. It was her fault; all of it.

She felt the cold wet stone underneath her bare fingers as she lifted herself off the floor. The gloves were ruined, soaking wet and filthy just like most of her dress. Her shoes were too uncomfortable to wear, so she walked the stone over a thin layer of tights. The jewelry around her neck was falling to pieces, and her hair flew as it pleased down her shoulders. At another time and place she may have worried if she looked presentable. But that no longer seemed to matter.

For a brief moment, the steady beat of water revived her spirit with rage. "This place is deplorable!"she shuddered. "At least Zant was courteous enough to give me a bedroom in the tower. Donphes is treating me like a common thief!"

But then she realized: that was _exactly _how he saw her. She was nothing more than an incompetent con-man in his eyes; a thief who stole her father's title and drove it into the ground. She was no princess to him, she was a criminal.

The sound of a door unlocking woke her from her thoughts. The wooden door creaked as one of Donphes' guards entered the dungeon with a set of keys and a torch. Despite the sudden intense light, Zelda could make out the red lion on the soldier's breastplate, and more importantly the sheathed sword he had at his side. After locking the entrance behind him, he silently walked to the cell as he searched for the proper key to unlock the door.

"Excuse me sir, but where are you going to take me?"

"To the courtyard." the guard replied, never straying from his task to look at the prisoner.

"Why am I being taken there, exactly?" Zelda asked, too curious to remain silent.

"You are to be executed at dawn."

The word struck her like an axe to the neck. _Executed._ The word itself seemed to possess the power to kill, filling her with terror and shock...but why was she so surprised? The man in charge saw her as a threat to his power; of course he would want her dead! She should have seen this coming, but she was too busy moping to realize that her life was about to end. Yet another foolish mistake.

The cell door unlocked and the guard approached her. With each step he took towards her, Zelda took two steps back. She considered seizing the guard's sword and slitting his throat, or stabbing him through the heart before he could take her. Anything to do to escape this nightmare.

Zelda reached the wall and slid into the corner, trapping herself like a caged animal. "You are making a terrible mistake, sir." she trembled. "Donphes cannot execute me. I am the princess of Hyrule!"

"Not anymore."

"What do you mean 'not anymore'? Of course I am! I am the heir to the Royal Family and the ruler of this kingdom!" She did not know if she was trying to convince the guard or herself.

The soldier unsheathed his blade and held it just before her neck, "Don't you _ever_ compare yourself to them. The Royal Family has protected the people centuries; while you let your people suffer. You ruined this kingdom! Donphes may want you killed in public but if I hear another word out of you I won't hesitate to kill you myself. Now MOVE!"

_BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!_

The guard turned towards the locked wooden door as someone pounded on it from the other side. Zelda did not utter a sound, in fear the guard would go through with his threat. The banging continued as the guard grabbed his keys and unlocked the entrance to see who it was.

The door opened inwards; the person on the other side was covered by it. From her viewpoint, Zelda could see nothing but the guard's terrified face. As he slowly stepped backwards the princess saw a small point at the soldier's neck, almost touching it.

"Drop your sword." a familiar voice ordered.

The guard obeyed, and continued to slowly move backwards. As he did the small point at his neck stretched into a long thin sheet of metal: a sword.

The person's voice was that of a young man, she was certain. And as more and more of him was revealed Zelda noticed the man's strong muscular arms, his dirty blond hair, and his fierce blue eyes. He wore the clothes of an Ordonian farm boy, and had a strange tattoo of the Triforce on his left hand.

Zelda's rescuer continued to push the guard back into the open cell, and gestured to the princess that she should get out. His eyes were strong and intimidating, the growl of a feral beast.

As soon as she was out, he followed and locked the bar doors behind him. He smiled at her innocently, "Jeez Zelda, how many times am I gonna have to save you?"

She blushed slightly, more in self-loathing than in embarrassment. "I suppose as many times as it takes. You always _do_ seem toappear at just the right time, Link."

The Hero of Hyrule smiled brightly, his eyes shining with glee like a dog wagging his tail.

"Now if you do not mind Link, I would very much like to be rid of this insufferable place as soon as possible."

"Oh! Right. Let's go."

As the two ran out the prison door, Link suddenly stopped and turned to face the imprisoned guard. "Sorry about this!" he shouted back before dashing out of sight.

- 

The princess followed Link as best she could up the dark and winding stairs. So many questions went through her mind. Why was he here? How did he find out about her imprisonment all the way in Ordon? Did anyone else know where she was?

"A few days ago I got a letter from Telma." the Hero said; he must have guessed what she was thinking. "It was scribbled so fast it was tough to read, but it said that you'd been kidnapped by the Army and that you were in danger. I got on Epona with Rusl and rode here as fast as I could."

"Are many people aware of my abduction?" Zelda asked as she stubbed her toe on a stair.

"I dunno. There were a couple angry soldiers that I saw on my way in. A couple of people in town were mad too."

"Link, I am not sure those are related." she smiled in the dark.

"Well, they could be!" he said defensively.

The duo reached the castle's surface, and were greeted by a shadowy semi-circle of soldiers. Link held his arm out to keep Zelda behind him, as the semi-circle closed tighter around them.

A shot of concentrated thunder struck the ground, as a hole was suddenly created like a splash into water. The soldiers looked around to see where the explosion had come from, but then suddenly another one appeared, then another.

The soldiers started fleeing the area, afraid of getting blown to bits. The unfortunate ones who had the courage to stay got an arrow through the head or torso.

Zelda held on tightly to her protector. By his side she felt like she was in a sanctuary; in a warm, comforting place where no agent of Donphes could ever harm her.

"Uuuuhh, Zelda? You can let go now. It's over."

Reality set back in again. She quickly released Link, "Yes. Of course. Very sorry about that."

The low voice of a woman pierced the silence, "Hey! Link! That's the Princess with you yeah?"

Out of the shadows appeared a pale young woman with raven black hair. She had an almost bored look on her face, which was complemented by her dark expressionless eyes. She wore red pants and various pieces of silver armor. At her side was a sheathed rapier, but in her hand was the bow used to kill the guards who refused to leave.

"Ashei!" Link beamed. "What're you doing here?"

The woman shrugged, "Same thing as you I guess. Got a letter from Telma saying the Princess was in trouble, could use my help. Had nothing better to do so I thought I'd come, yeah?"

"Are the others here too? Rusl came with me and is making sure our way out is clear, but where's Shad and Auru?"

"Well Shad's about as useful as a headless cuccoo in a fight, so he's back at Telma's place keeping watch. As for Auru..." Ashei pointed to the top of a stack of stone blocks fifty yards away. There Zelda could just make out the shape a large man with what looked like a cannon on his shoulder.

"I suggest you and the Princess be more careful, Link." Ashei commented with what appeared to be her version of a smile. "We've already saved your ass twice. Can't guarantee there'll be another encore, yeah?"

"Thanks." Link chuckled playfully. "We will."

He grabbed Zelda's hand and started to make the long run to the bridge to Castle Town, where they could find the princess a place to hide.

-

**Captain Attics**  
><span><strong>2:18 a.m.<strong>

Attics' armor clunked as the captain paced his post. Despite years of being able to speak his mind to Donphes, his earlier demands that the princess should be freed had not been tolerated. Donphes had ordered him to patrol the castle ruins on the graveyard shift as punishment.

Attics could not care less. Constantly walking from the light of the torch to the dark of the shadows let his mind be at ease. But the question of his loyalty sat like a bad taste in his mouth. He sincerely wanted the best for his friend, but was his friend above the law? Could he trick his conscience into justifying Zelda's arrest?

Out of the corner of his eye he watched a shadow dance out of sight. Darkness always spreads lies, he thought. Bathing in the light one could find his way, but the unknown darkness always holds danger. Always.

"Zelda has escaped! Sound the alarm! The princess has escaped!"

A guard dashed by Attics as he yelled the command. Attics had no time to think; he simply followed with his sword in hand.

The captain thought he saw the shapes of two figures running ahead of him; holding each other's hands like it was their only connection. He heard the jingling of chain mail as the other guards took notice and also gave chance. It was not long before there were dozens of soldiers chasing the shadows.

One guard managed to cut them off, and the hunt was over. A torch was brought to lend its light, revealing the shadows as a young man and woman. The man held his sword out against the guards as they surrounded them. The woman stood behind him, hiding her face from their captors.

"Princess Zelda?" Attics asked the woman.

She seemed to recognize his voice, because she looked over at him. But her face showed no sign of comfort by his presence; on the contrary, she looked at him as if he were her executioner.

"Captain. Please, you must let us out of here." she said barely controlling her fear.

"I'm sorry, Your Highness. I tried to get you released, I honestly did. But Donphes wouldn't listen to me. I couldn't do anything." 

"You can do something now." Zelda replied urgently. "Order the guards to stand aside. Please captain, if you know what is right you will call them off!"

Some of the guards looked to Attics, as if asking if he was really going to do what she said. Others pressed in even closer, trying to shut the princess up with a sword at her throat. But Attics could not decide. He did not want to choose sides. This was not a war, there were no sides to choose from! He feared betraying his friend as much as he feared betraying his conscience.

It was then he remembered: the unknown darkness always holds danger. Always.

"Stand down." Attics heard himself say.

The guards looked confused; some even laughed, thinking the captain was making a joke. But Attics did not laugh, nor did he hold up his sword against the captives.

He walked into the circle and turned to face his fellow soldiers, "I can't be the only one here who thinks that Donphes has gone too far. You might not agree with what Her Highness has done but that doesn't mean you can kill her and replace her with someone else! The fact is, nobody but her can pull off running the kingdom. We just can't, and pretending we can is lying to ourselves and to all the people in Hyrule we claim to protect."

A guard up front summoned the courage to speak out, "But General Donphes said-"

"General Donphes can kiss my ass!" Attics interrupted. "If you're going to blindly follow orders then you're nothing more than puppets! Do what _you_ know is right, not what Donphes tells you is right. Now stand down before I beat the shit out every single one of you!"

A few guards lowered their weapons, convinced by their consciences that what they were doing was wrong. But many kept their blades held high. They began to shout at the captain, branding him a feeble minded traitor. Those who chose his side defended Attics, and it was not long before someone started swinging his sword in fury.

What had started out as an attempt to recapture a prisoner had transformed into an armed brawl. "Go, Your Highness!" Attics barked as he punched an incoming soldier in the jaw. "We'll keep them busy!"

The princess took one last look at the captain, and mouthed two words he could not hear, before dashing back into the darkness.


	7. Chapter 6

**Zelda**

**Outside Hyrule Castle**

**2:24 a.m.**

**13 days before Declaration**

Zelda could feel her throat tightening as she ran through the cold night. The smallest hint of blood haunted her, though she was not sure if she was smelling it or tasting it. Lungs filled with needles and legs filled with lead, Zelda had to fight for every step forward.

In the hundred shades of darkness, she saw a figure stand and wave towards them. "Link! Over here!" it whispered.

The Hero answered its call, and ran towards the shadow stuffed in an alleyway just outside the castle bridge.

"I assume this is Princess Zelda?" the figure asked Link. Zelda was surprised that the stranger could identify her in the dark.

"Sure is." Link replied. Even in the complete darkness Zelda could picture the smile on Link's face.

The shadow reached out and shook Zelda's hand. "Hello there, Your Highness. My name is Rusl, and I'm the blacksmith of Ordon village. Telma sent us each a letter saying-"

The blacksmith was cut short by the jingle of rustling chain mail. He pulled Link and Zelda into the alleyway with him and waited for the footsteps the fade away.

"Why are they heading back to the castle?" Link whispered.

"They must have been on patrol somewhere else." Rusl replied. "Whatever you did in there Link, it _definitely _got their attention. They've been pouring in from all over since that bell went off. Now come on, we have to go while the normal patrol is gone."

"But what about Auru and Ashei? They helped us get out, they're still back there!" Link whispered louder than he should have.

"I'm not worried about those two. They've been in tough spots before, they can handle themselves. Let's go, we've got to get Her Highness to Telma's place."

As they left the alleyway and ran onto the street, Zelda could not help but look back on the partly-built castle, which was sure to be shrouded in darkness for plenty of time to come.

-

**Telma's Bar**  
><span><strong>2:36 a.m.<strong>

Even around the corner of the bar, Zelda could see the light coming from it. The warm glow of the lanterns was a welcoming contrast to the frigid night. She read the sign outside the entrance: "Telma's Bar" was all it said. That was all it needed to say for her to feel safe.

Once inside Zelda was greeted by a red-haired man slightly older than herself. He wore a dark purple coat over a pink vest. His tan shorts ended with protective caps over his knees, and were followed by white and pink argyle socks going all the way down his shins. In his hand was a dark purple book with a dagger holding the page.

He bowed as she entered, slightly surprised at her filthy appearance. "Greetings and salutations, Your Royal Highness! I am Shad, an archeologist by trade and a proud member of-"

"Did you just say what I thought you said?" Telma's voice boomed from the back of the bar.

Shad readjusted his glasses back into place, "I did indeed, Telma. Link and Rusl have succeeded in rescuing Her Highness."

The bartender almost ran out to meet Zelda, but once she was face to face with the princess she could only stare in shock. Tears began to swell in her eyes as she stood in silence.

"Telma, I believe I have you to th-"

Zelda could not finish her thought before Telma had her arms around her, holding the young woman close with trembling hands.

"Thank the Gods you're safe, honey." the bartender quivered.

Such closeness was almost foreign to Zelda. As ruler of the kingdom, intimacy was not a luxury she could afford to have. Not even her parents, who she knew had loved her deeply, showed her great affection in the company of others. Yet this moment, this embrace of a mother bear and her adopted cub, was no more foreign to Zelda's heart than her own name.

Her eyes swelled with tears as she returned the embrace. To say that Telma's bar was where she felt safe seemed so inadequate now. Telma's bar was where she felt at home, and it was Telma-her dear friend and adopted mother-who made it feel that way.

"Thank you, Telma. For everything."

The spell wore off after a few moments, then reality set back in. "You must be starving, sweetie!" Telma exclaimed as she brought the princess to the back of the bar. "Shad! Get the princess something to eat! And some new clothes while you're at it!"

"What? Oh! Of course! But...where am I going to get clothing at this time of night?"

Telma waved her hand up the stairs to the bedrooms, "I've got some old dresses from when I was younger. They don't fit me anymore, she can wear those for now...Well don't just stand there like an idiot! Get a move on!"

Shad jumped at Telma's command, and quickly ran to get the princess some bread before heading upstairs to find clean clothes.

Zelda had to restrain herself from completely devouring the loaf of bread like an animal. In the three days she had been imprisoned she had been given very little to eat or drink. Her stomach had withered to the size of a grape, but the feeling of food in her hands was enough to revive her hunger a hundred times over. Yet she would not give in to these desperate compulsions; she would be a lady, whether she wanted to be or not.

"Hey! Auru and Ashei are back!" Link said as he looked out the window.

Within moments the man and woman from earlier entered. Zelda was finally able to get a good look at the man with the cannon; a man whom she had seen often as a child. He was gigantic; at least a full head taller than anyone else in the room. The heavy brown jumpsuit he wore bore the Holy Triforce on his chest. He had a balding grey head and symmetric patches of a beard along the sides of his mouth, almost like the tusks of an elephant. His wrinkled face created folds on his forehead, which greatly contrasted with the young and benevolent look in his eyes.

He gave a warm smile at the princess as he bowed. "It is wonderful to see you safe, Your Highness."

The woman on the other hand, was much less courteous. She went behind the bar and grabbed a piece of bread.

"Yeah, couldn't have made a louder exit though." Ashei said through mouthfuls of food. "We had to sneak by pretty much the whole fuckin' army to get here."

"You must forgive my companion, Your Highness." the older man said after a quick glare at Ashei. "She is very skilled in the art of combat, but her skill in the art of manners is...limited."

Ashei shrugged as she sat on top of the bar. With her meal finished, she let out a large belch.

Zelda tried not to notice. "Yes, well...it would seem the title 'Your Highness' is no longer appropriate, Auru. As of three days ago, I am...no longer the Princess of Hyrule."

From the looks on everyone's faces, she might as well have said she was a ghost. They all stared wide eyed at her, not believing the words coming out of her mouth.

"It is true. General Donphes has usurped my throne. Have the people not heard this yet?"

Telma shook her head. "You've only been gone a few days, sweetie. The only thing I've heard are rumors that you'd run away for some reason."

"What reason is that?" Rusl asked.

The bartender furrowed her brow trying to remember. "Something about Her Highness causing the castle's destruction, or being the reason why the soldiers are homeless. Things like that."

"That's crazy!" Link protested as he stood up from his chair. "Don't people know that the castle blew up because Gan-"

"At this point the truth is irrelevant." Zelda interrupted. "What matters is not _how _this all happened, but the fact that it is happening. Donphes has taken control, and has ordered for my execution. He is most likely going to send troops to find me soon, if he has not done so already. _That _is what we should be focusing on."

Shad appeared at the top of the stairwell with a green dress in hand. "This was the smallest dress I could find, but it is most likely still too big for Her Highness."

Telma shot him a look, "And you call yourself a gentleman, Shad. Give it here."

The bartender drew the curtain so she and the princess could have privacy while Zelda changed clothes. She removed all of her jewelry and hair ornaments, even the ones that were not broken. As Shad had predicted, the garment was large on her, but not large enough to be very noticeable. When Telma brought her a small hand mirror to look into, Zelda could hardly believe she was gazing at her own reflection. Her hair was ruffled and filthy, as was her face. The dirt underneath her fingernails was turning black, and dark bags dropped heavily under her eyes. In short, she looked like a peasant.

"Your Highness," Rusl asked from outside the curtain, "if this Donphes fellow knows that you're missing, then is it possible that there will be guards coming to search for you _here_?"

"I doubt it." Zelda replied, opening the curtain fully dressed. "As a matter of precaution, only a select few individuals knew that I was a resident here. Other than Telma and myself, the only citizens who knew my location were my three escort guards, and they..."

Zelda stopped midsentence, remembering the night she was interrogated. "and they led me right into the general's trap!"

A loud knock was heard outside the entrance door. "Open up! It's the Royal guard!"

Telma quickly closed the curtain again and brought Zelda to the far back of the bar. "You need to hide, Your Highness. There's a secret passageway to the castle at the far end behind a few crates. I'm not sure how much of the passage is still up, but you only need to get far enough in to be out of sight. I'll come get you when they're gone."

Just as the bartender had said, behind a stack of crates was a dark doorway into nothingness. Despite Zelda's reluctance to leave the light of the bar, she squeezed behind the crates and followed the path far enough into the dark to avoid being seen.

She heard Telma yell at the front door. "Keep your helmets on, I'm coming!" she unlocked the door and opened it, "What do you want?"

The lower voice of her escort reached Zelda's ears, "Zelda has recently escaped capture. We've received orders to search the house in case she came here to hide."

"Do you have any idea what time it is? Can't you come and waste my time later, like in the morning maybe?"

"We won't be long, no need to worry."

The door creaked fully open. "Make it quick." Telma said.

"Are you usually open this late?" one of the guards asked. Link and the others must have pretending to be customers.

"It's a bar." Telma replied shortly. "People always come in for somethin', at _any _time of night. But just because I can serve ale at this hour doesn't mean I can stand some guards tearing up the place. So do what you gotta do and get out."

Zelda heard the creak of the stairs and the floorboards above her. One of guards was looking upstairs in her room. Another one was looking further down the hall in Telma's room. The third guard was still in the bar. His chain mail jingled as he walked into the far end of the bar, only yards away from Zelda by the sound of it.

She feared the guard might hear her heart pounding out of her chest. Fears and doubts flooded her mind as she held her breath. What if she was discovered, would Telma and the others stop them? _Could_ Telma and the others stop them? The guards could not go missing, otherwise Donphes would get suspicious and send more; he may even burn the bar down for good measure! Zelda silently prayed that the soldiers would leave; not for her own sake, but so that Telma and the others would not be harmed protecting her.

"No sign of her upstairs." one of the guards commented as he went back into the bar.

The man in front of her responded to the other guard. "I'm not seeing her either; she must've run out of the city."

"C'mon, let's get back to the castle. If Donphes wants to kill the bastards who helped Zelda escape, he'll need all the help he can get."

The sound of the door opening and closing was no comfort for Zelda. As silent sighs of relief echoed through the bar the princess came out with her face paler than ever.

"You okay, sweetie?" Telma asked.

"Captain Attics and the others are going to die...because of me."

"That pony tailed binge drinker stood up for you?" Telma asked, more offended than shocked. "Why didn't he have the balls to stand up to his flat-headed friend Donphes in the first place?"

Zelda ran to where Link was standing by the nearest table, "Please Link. I need you to stop the execution. Attics gave us our chance to escape, I cannot allow someone like that to die on my behalf."

"Why should we?" Ashei butted in, taking a seat at the table. "If this guy's buddies with Donphes like Telma said, what's the point in helping him? He's either an idiot who had a sudden act on his conscience, or he's a wishy-washy pussy who can't pick a side and stick with it. Can't trust a guy like that, yeah?"

"Anyone who has aided Her Highness is worthy of our trust." Auru replied. He took out a map of Hyrule and laid it out on the table. "I suggest Rusl, Ashei, and myself try to free these Loyalists while Shad, Link, and Telma escape with Her Highness into the Faron Woods. Ordon Village should be far enough away from Donphes for the princess to be safe."

Shad nodded and readjusted his glasses, "I agree full-heartedly, my friend. However, what do you propose should be our escape route? One would believe that using Telma's wagon as a cover would be both obvious and incredibly loud. The guards would find it long before we reached the city walls."

"We shouldn't have to worry about the guards." Rusl said. "Remember what the soldier looking for Her Highness said? 'If Donphes wants to execute all of Her Highness' supporters he'll need all the help he can get'. If they were willing to give up something as important as finding the princess, then they must have their hands full keeping the prisoners contained. If that's the case, then it's probably safe to assume that there are at least _a few _holes in their defences. You can take the wagon and smuggle Her Highness out of the city, while we rescue the prisoners."

Zelda smiled and slightly bowed, "Thank you very much, Rusl. However I would like Link to stay behind and aid in the rescue. I am sure we can all agree that he is stronger than all of us, and is therefore our best chance in successfully rescuing Attics and the others. If your theory about the guards is true, I will not need him protecting me if there are no soldiers to stop us."

She then turned to the young Hero, who had remained silent throughout the planning. "That is, of course, if he is willing."

Link looked down at the map, at the others, and finally at Zelda. The indecisive look in his eye transformed into the determined glow Zelda knew.

"I'll get the Captain and the others out." he nodded at her. "But I'll need you guys to help."

Rusl silently sighed, clearly not content with this change of plan. "I suppose I'll have to escort Her Highness myself, seeing as how Link and I are the ones who know the best ways to Ordon."

"You'll be going too, right Telma?" Link asked.

The bartender shook her head. "Wish I could honey, but I can't leave the bar like this. Somebody's gotta be here in case those guards decide to come looking for the princess again. Feel free to use my horse and wagon though. It's a little bumpy, but you'll get there in one piece."

She gave a teasing look to Link, "Long as the wagon doesn't catch on fire like last time."

"Wait a minute!" exclaimed Shad. "What about me?"

"I've got a good idea for what you can do, yeah?" Ashei smirked.

"Oh. How...wonderful."

Auru leaned with his arms over the table, "It is decided then. Rusl, you should take the princess out of the city now. Every minute we waste endangers her life as well as the lives of the prisoners."

For a moment the princess hesitated from leaving, but a smiling nod from Link convinced her to face the frigid darkness outside.

As Zelda and Rusl left the others in the back of the bar, Auru pointed to the heart of the map: Hyrule Castle.

"This is what we are going to do..."

**Southern Hyrule Field**  
><span><strong>6:37 a.m.<strong>

The bumps on the dirt road shook Zelda awake, refusing her even the smallest wink of rest. The princess wondered if she could see her breath if there were a light nearby; but of course there was none to be found. She and Rusl could not afford to be spotted out in the open field, so they extinguished the lantern once they were safely out of the city walls.

Rusl was absolutely right about the guards; all of them seemed focused on the execution, and the wagon passed safely through Castle Town without incident. Unfortunately, Telma was also right about the ride being uncomfortable. Several times Zelda had to keep herself from slamming her head into the floor.

She looked in the direction of where the sounds of hooves came from. Somewhere only a yard or two ahead of her was Rusl in the driver's bench, although she couldn't even see his silhouette. Zelda was fascinated by how well Rusl could see through the night. Much like Link, he had an incredible ability to see where he was going, whether in the light or the dark. Zelda also noticed how neither he nor Link even mentioned the cold. Perhaps they did not feel it, or had built up endurance against it.

Yet another contrast to her weakness.

Rusl must have turned his head to the east, because he whistled in awe. "Sun'll be up soon. Look at the sky."

Zelda stumbled through the back of the wagon to the driver's bench. The blacksmith was right: the sun would be up within the hour, but the current eastern sky was beautiful just as it was. A euphoric painting of pink sky and purple clouds, each shape as unique as a snowflake.

Zelda could not help but smile at the sky. It was the reminder she had desperately needed since Zant's attack on the castle: even though she was stumbling through the darkness now, the sun would soon rise to light her way.


	8. Chapter 7

_For those of you who have been waiting so patiently for this, I want to send a sincere thank-you. This chapter has taken me a little over a month to write, and looking at the word count I think you may understand why. You may want to make a sandwich or something; you're going to be here for a while. Well, without further stalling, I give you: Chapter 7!_

**Zelda**

**Ordan Village**

**9:36 a.m.**

**13 days before Declaration**

Rusl offered his hand to Zelda as she came off of the wagon. She was thankful for the help, and used his weight to support her fall to the soft earth below. The dirt road of the village was much more accustomed to the hooves of goats than the wheels of wagons, and the princess could feel her shoes getting lost in the ground. Hiding her disgust, she pulled herself free and followed the blacksmith to his home.

Compared to Castle Town, Ordan Village was a completely different world. It was barely a spot on the map, and had only the most basic luxuries; up until a few days ago Zelda would have thought the place primitive and beneath her. Yet it was the lack of human cultivation that gave the village its unfathomable beauty. There was a hint of paradise in the sound of the local creek flowing, and in the sunlight covered by thousands of leaves. It was a world that was naturally beautiful, and the villagers were wise to live with this beauty rather than destroy it.

Rusl's home was by far the smallest of the village. While some houses grew out of trees and had multiple floors, Rusl and his family lived in a small shack in a corner of the village. Despite the size of the home, it was welcoming nonetheless; at least it would not shake her awake like the wagon.

As Zelda stepped inside and met Rusl's wife and two sons, the princess could not take her mind off of Hyrule Castle, and the friends she had asked to put their lives on the line...

-

**Attics**  
><span><strong>Hyrule Castle Courtyard<strong>  
><span><strong>2:53 a.m.<strong>  
><span><strong>13 days before Declaration<strong>

The shackles were on too tight: that was the only thought that occupied the captain's head as Donphes paced back and forth, silent and furious. He knew the design of the restraints well; from firsthand experience no less. Two thick semicircles of iron were hammered into place around the captive's wrists, and then chained together through a small number of metal links, usually no more than three. They were meant to prevent the prisoner's hands from being used, but still keep him portable. In his opinion they beat being in the stocks any day.

Attics briefly watched his friend walk back and forth, "You gonna say something or are you just trying to make me dizzy?"

"You should be dead right now." Donphes said without breaking his pace.

"Then why am I here talking to you?"

Donphes rushed in and glared at Attics dead in the eye, "Because I cannot kill two dozen seasoned soldiers in one night."

"Sure you could. You're the king aren't you?"

"Do not mock me Attics!" his friend roared. "Do you have any idea what you have done?"

"Yeah. I did the right thing."

"You committed treason!"

"Look in the fucking mirror Donphes! You overthrew the monarch and took her place. If anyone's the traitor here, it's you!"

"I AM HELPING THIS KINGDOM!" the general shouted. "Zelda was driving Hyrule into the ground, and I must bring it back to its feet! No one else can do this Attics!"

"No one else but _her_!"

Attics suddenly felt the cool touch of metal on his face, coupled with an incredible amount of pain. Donphes had punched him!

The captain stumbled backwards before regaining his balance. He smirked and spoke in a sarcastic tone, "I'm sorry Donny, did I hit a nerve?"

Donphes approached him once again, this time keeping his voice under a weak restraint. "I cannot kill all of the traitors, but neither can I allow them to plot against me. You are one of my closest friends, Attics. I do not want to kill you, but if you continue acting like this I will have no choice. You have one last chance: stop this and tell your conspirators to accept me as King, or it will be _your_ head on the chopping block."

Attics looked over at the well-lit gallows. The stone slab on the top was smooth and quiet; a serene and welcoming sight, like the smoke of a chimney. He could not help but let out a small smile while looking at the little house of death.

"You're my best friend too, Donphes." he finally said. "And if you weren't I'd be supporting you to the end right now. But it's because you're so close to me that I have to put my foot down. You've made a huge mistake, and you're too Gods-damn stubborn to realize it. I've lived a good life, so who knows; maybe my bloody head'll finally wake you up."

Attics knew his words struck home. He also knew that Donphes would never admit how hurt he was, and that the usurper king would force himself to take his best friend up to that block, and watch as his head was chopped off. Crimson memories would drown the stone, but Donphes' eyes would remain dry. That was just who he was.

Donphes did not disappoint him. The general summoned a guard to seize Attics, before looking at his treasonous friend one last time.

"You had your chance, Attics. As the executioner raises his axe, just remember that you brought this upon yourself."

"As did you Donny. As did you."

The guard yanked Attics away, but the captain shook his arm free, "I can walk on my own, jackass."

And so the captain walked to his doom. It would take at least an hour for the executioner to be ready, and Donphes would be busy with his new duties in that time span. Attics would be kept underneath the gallows' shadow with the other rebels, guarded by practically half the army. None of this surprised the seasoned soldier though. What shocked him was how bright the gallows were. It seemed impossible for the torches at each corner to make the structure shine so much. From the shadowy area where Donphes was, the place where Attics would die was a welcoming home. There was no unknown darkness here. Not in this...

The guard pushed him into one of the wooden beams holding the gallows up. Attics felt the blood drip from his broken nose, and turned to face the man.

"You're gonna regret that."

The guard only had time to spit in the captain's face before shouts could be heard from a soldier running into the courtyard.

"She's been found! The princess! She's been found!"

Attics felt his heart drop to the ground. It was all for nothing. He had thrown his life away in hopes that the princess could escape, but those hopes were dead now; he and Zelda would be soon to follow them.

Some of the guards left their posts to check on the frantic soldier. The poor man hardly had a chance to breathe before he was bombarded with questions. When? Where? How? The frail man adjusted something falling down his nose, and beckoned the guards to follow him.

"This...way..." he panted. "We need...help!"

The guards who listened followed the man as he stumbled to a run towards town. Many soldiers still remained though; confident in their comrades, yet cautious of the prisoners.

Clanking armor decrescendoed in the dark night, and just when Attics could no longer hear them, a roar of thunder took its place. The shockwave shook the ground, forcing many prisoners to lean on the gallows for support. The guards stared in shock at the large flames bursting from behind the courtyard walls. Many ran towards the explosion to investigate, but most stood where they were; either afraid of the explosion or afraid of leaving the prisoners alone.

Attics was fortunate to be looking at the guards when a young woman with a bow appeared from the opposite direction. She pulled an arrow and shot it at the closest guard her plain eyes could find. The weapon found its mark straight through the poor guard's throat, gurgling out of him in a weak cry for help. It remained unanswered; the others were too focused on the smoky column to notice.

The next shot however was quickly noticed, and a dozen soldiers charged at the archer. The young woman prepared another arrow in an attempt to take one of her attackers out, but the shield the guard raised prevented it. Attics considered turning away; the girl was as good as dead.

As the first guard raised his axe to strike her down, he was suddenly greeted by a metal shield to his face. He dropped the weapon as tears mixed with blood. Before he could open his eyes to realize what had happened, he was slapped on the side of the head by the same shield. He fell on the ground clutching his pounding head.

The other guards stopped to see this new attacker: a young man in Ordonian clothing with a sword and shield. His eyes intensified the wolf's growl on his face, as if to dare the next soldier to step forward and fight.

Two of the guards answered the call. They lunged at the stranger from both sides with their swords, planning to catch the man in between them. What they did not expect was for the intruder to roll forward out of harm's way and attack one of their unprepared comrades. The intruder came out of his roll to leap up high in the air, delivering a powerful blow to the unsuspecting guard's sword shoulder. As he landed quietly on his feet, the intruder pushed the wounded guard into one that was ready to charge. They both fell down to the ground unable to get up.

The distraction the stranger made gave the archer enough time to draw her rapier and stab the nearest guard through the back. It was much harder to get the blade back out again; it was not designed to completely impale. As she struggled to release her sword from the dying soldier, another guard came up behind her and went to slit her throat. Before he could do so the guard felt his left leg buckle as the muscles were struck by the young man's pommel. As he fell to the ground the intruder hit the guard's skull with the Triforce on his shield. The soldier fell on the ground unconscious; the Holy Triangles stamped on the side of his head.

As the woman finally freed her blade from the dead man's back, her companion walked in front of her to face the remaining guards. He turned his head to the woman with a playful smile; "Now we're even." he seemed to say.

Seven guards remained, and they quickly formed a circle around the swordsman as he walked forward. They had their shields up at the ready, and prepared to attack from all sides. Even if one or two of them perished, there was no way the wolf-eyed man could take them all down.

How wrong they were. As soon as the yell for the charge was given the swordsman spun around with his sword extended. Fire appeared to dance off the blade as each of the soldiers were struck by powerful energy. The attack was over before it began; with each guard lying on the ground in pain.

The soldiers remaining with the prisoners were paralyzed. Their legs turned to jelly as the two intruders made their way to the captive Loyalists.

Attics was the first to act: he went over to the guard who had broken his nose, and casually tapped him on the shoulder. The guard turned around just in time for his face to meet the captain's chained fists. As the disorientated guard stumbled backwards, Attics grabbed tightly onto his chainmail suit and thrust his knee into the cruel soldier's solar plexus. Before the guard had time to gasp for breath Attics had smashed his skull with the same knee.

The captain looked down at the crumpled guard, "Told ya you'd regret that." he smirked.

The other captives soon followed Attics' example. They tackled the guards to the ground, surrounded them and beat them with shackled hands, or stole the guards' weapons and fought with those. With the battle won, the prisoners went up to the chopping block with the executioner's axe, and used it to break the chains on their shackles.

Attics went over to meet the young man and woman as soon as his arms were free.

"I'm sure as Hell glad you got here when you did" he chuckled. "Just saved me from getting the shortest haircut of my life."

He extended his arm and shook the young man's hand. "Name's Attics."

"I'm Link." the young man smiled. The woman simply looked at Attics indifferently and sighed "Ashei."

"I'm sorry, I've only got one ear to hear out of. Did you say your name was _Link_? As in the 'Hero of Hyrule' Link? The guy who single-handedly saved the entire kingdom from goin' down the shit-hole? _That_ Link?"

"They really say all that?" the lad asked awkwardly. Attics swore he saw the young man's cheeks burn red.

"We can talk about your fan club later, yeah?" Ashei butted in. "Right now we've got to get the Hell outta here before the other guards come back."

"We'd be as good as dead if we all just ran out into the city." Attics noted. "The guards could just block the gates and kill us like caged animals."

"We've got a pretty good way around that." Link replied. "You and half of your men'll go with Ashei and our other friends, while I take the other half through the waterways that're still intact. I've been down there a number of times, and know my way pretty well. We'll all meet up outside the western gate and head to the Faron woods together."

Attics lifted his eyebrows, "Not a bad plan. Fewer people running through the city means fewer noises for the guards to hear. I'll let the others know and spilt 'em up for you."

Walking to the other prisoners, the captain suddenly stopped; one of the guards Link had fought was still alive, his moaning was weak but still noticeable. When he looked closer Attics realized _all _the soldiers Link had fought were still breathing.

He turned back to the Hero, "You do that on purpose?"

Link looked down at the guards with sympathetic eyes. "It's not their fault. They don't deserve to die for just doing their job."

"Tell that to Donphes." the captain scoffed. "He was about to kill me for doing _my_ job, you know. You can't show sympathy like that. The enemy sure as Hell won't show it to you."

"I don't kill people." Link said assertively.

Attics stared at the young Hero. Was this kid for real? How could someone with the strength to beat a dozen men at once stick to such non-violent ideals? Was he really so naïve to think the enemy would simply give up if he spared their lives?

The captain shook his head. The boy was a natural at combat, but part of serious fighting was taking the enemy's life. One day he would have to accept that.

Once the parties were divided, the Hero made his way towards the dungeons, where the closest link to the waterways lied. Attics could hardly believe he had spoken to a living legend. How could he? The boy was barely an adult, and still held onto such a childish sense of morality. But he had to believe it; his skill with the sword and shield was evidence enough. He was a one-man army, and Attics was thankful he and the boy were on the same side.

The prisoners took whatever weapons they could from the guards, but thanks to the distractions there were not enough swords and axes to go around. While Attics seized a claymore from the guard who had pushed him, he knew that it would slow him down greatly. In a time like this, speed was everything; being the slowest of the pack could seriously endanger his life.

He stared at the finely crafted blade and nodded. "Yup. Totally worth it."

**Castle Town**  
><span><strong>3:32 a.m.<strong>

The group was well on their way through the city when Ashei suddenly gave the signal to stop. In the empty alleyways of Castle Town, the quiet screech of metal against stone echoed. Attics and the other soldiers hid where they could: in the gaps between buildings, over fences, even quietly hiding behind unlocked doors. Attics was one of the unfortunate soldiers who could not find a place to hide, so he simply tried to act inconspicuously; a skill that the captain was by no means gifted in.

The scraping grew quieter as well as slower, as if the thing making it had slowed down considerably. He knew the sound well: it was the scrape of a guard's metal boots against the road. One of Donphes' soldiers was in the alleyway, and by the sound of the screeching, he was getting closer.

Attics held his breath, his mind rushing with the possible outcomes. The captain was out in the open, armed, and outside in the middle of the night. No matter which way he sliced it he looked suspicious. He could try to attack the guard, pretending to be a mugger, but what if the soldier called for help? Donphes' soldiers would be there in minutes, and Attics would be at the gallows within the hour; right back where he started.

The captain heard Ashei's whisper coming from a nearby house. "Hey, what's going on out there, yeah?"

"It's a guard. He's coming this way." Attics whispered back.

As the soldier's outline came into view, Attics made out the sound of heavy panting. Perhaps they were in luck; if the guard was exhausted then maybe Attics could take him down without incident. They would have to hide the body of course, but once that was taken care of they could continue making their way to the gates of the city.

"...Ash...ei...you...out...here...?" the guard heaved. In one shallow breath he spoke as loud as his closed up throat would let him, "OhbytheGodspleasebehere!"

Ashei must have recognized the voice, because she immediately left her hiding spot and went to meet the exhausted man.

"About time you showed up, Shad. You lost 'em, yeah?"

The poor guard barely had enough breath to speak. "I...think...so...you...have...water?"

The woman shrugged. "Sorry bud. Maybe you can dump your head in the fountain or somethin', yeah?"

The guard tried to exclaim in protest, but his voice had given out.

The short soldier seemed familiar to Attics, but it was not until he fixed something under his helmet when the captain realized where he knew him: the man in front of him was the same soldier who had run into the courtyard not even an hour ago shouting that Zelda had been captured.

The guard threw off his helmet and sat down. His red hair clinging closely to his skull, soaked in sweat. His dark glasses were bent after being pressed back by the helmet, yet even at their thinner angle they were still too large for the man's nose. With a heavy hand he pushed the glasses up back to the bridge.

More clanging could be heard down the alleyway, coming closer.

"Damn it Shad!" Ashei hissed. "I thought you said you lost 'em all!"

Shad was speechless. He tried to explain himself to the angry woman but all that came out was heavy breathing.

"Hey! You there!" one of the three silhouettes shouted to the group. "Stay where you are! We've got some questions for you!"

Out of nowhere a fourth figure rounded the corner. Attics was not sure if the shadows were playing tricks on him, but this newcomer appeared to be some sort of giant. It walked surprisingly quietly for its size, and carried what appeared to be a massive club on its shoulders.

The guards did not get ten steps closer before the giant swung his club and smashed the soldiers all in a row. The guards hit each other like the balls in Newton's cradle, and were dashed to the side of a nearby building, either dead or unconscious.

Attics readied his blade out of caution, but Ashei pushed the sword away. "He's a friend, genius."

With each massive step the giant took Attics got a better look at him. He could see a valley of baldness between mountains of hair, a brown and pink jumpsuit with the Holy Triforce stamped in the middle of the chest, and a metal cannon-not a club-over the Goliath's shoulders. A gentle smile curled over a familiar face.

"Good to see you again, Attics." Auru's voice broke the silence of the dark.

"Major Auru!" the captain laughed. "And here I was thinking you'd kicked the bucket while we were away at war!"

"I still have some fight left in these old bones." the old veteran said, looking over his shoulder to see the pile of guards behind him. "Those poor fools found that out the hard way."

Attics felt like he was with an old friend he had not seen in years. He and Auru had never officially fought together on the battlefield, but he had great respect for the former commanding officer of Hyrule's artillery. By the time war was declared and the army sailed for parts unknown, Major Auru was well into his retirement, and stayed behind in his home in the castle.

"So how have you been, old man?" Attics asked, completely forgetting the urgency of their situation.

Ashei rolled her eyes. "You can catch up later, yeah? Right now we gotta get the Hell out've here."

"Oh. Right." Attics said as he signaled for the other escapees to come out. "Lead the way."

-

Attics never thought the sound of his boots hitting the western bridge out of Castle Town could be so euphoric. It was a sound he never thought he would hear again, but it was more than that. It was a reward for his labor through the city, and a promise that he would make it through the field. It was the sound of freedom.

He looked around and noticed the other freed prisoners sensed it as well. Once off the bridge they were as good as free. Although there were two entire fields between them and Faron, there was also an entire city filled with hiding spaces for Donphes to search behind them. Once he has realized the prisoners were no longer in Castle Town, they would be well on their way to the forest.

An arrow struck the bridge right in front of the captain's feet. The group stopped and turned around to face dozens of guards with their weapons at the ready. A white horse walked onto the bridge with the soon-to-be King of Hyrule as its rider: Donphes.

Darkness covered the bridge like a blanket, but Attics knew his old friend was there to greet them. He did not need his eyes to see the red lion stamped on each guard's chest, nor the crossbows aimed at each of the prisoner's heads, and he certainly did not need his eyes to see the General's face.

"This has gone on long enough, Attics." the general's voice combined with the darkness.

"I agree." the captain's voice pierced the darkness. "Get off your high horse and we can end this like men."

Donphes' silhouette shook its head. "This is no time for games, Attics. You have chosen your side, my friend; and it is the wrong one. It seems that I must show the people that under my rule, treason will not be tolerated. You will be taken back to the gallows and beheaded, along with your conspirators."

A line of guards marched out to subdue the prisoners. Ashei quickly drew her bow and aimed an arrow at the man on the horse.

"I didn't stick my neck out for these guys just to have it chopped off, yeah? Take another step and the General gets an arrow through the head."

A battalion of crossbows aimed at the lone archer. Donphes stared through the abyss at her, "Make another move and you shall have _a hundred_ arrows through the head. Surrender, child; and be grateful you still have a few moments left to be in this world."

The general signaled for the guards to continue the arrest. "Take them away."

An arrow flew through the air and zoomed by the ear of Donphes' horse. The animal was startled and rose up on its hind legs, throwing the general off its back and down to the wood's embrace. An officer quickly ran out to assist the general to his feet and brought him back inside the city walls.

Attics turned to Ashei, shocked that she had fired a shot that would certainly spell her doom; yet as he gazed at the bow, the captain realized that the arrow was still strung inside it. If she had not fired the shot, then who did?

The whinny of a horse reached the captain's ear. It was not the horse in front of him getting pulled back into Castle Town, but one farther away; one that was behind him.

"Get out of the way!" one of the prisoners shouted as a horse charged towards the bridge. Attics had just enough time to jump out of the steed's way as it continued its charge towards the line of guards. Whoever was riding the massive beast leapt off its back in a backflip and landed safely on the bridge; an empty bow in his hand. The horse continued moving forward and reared right in front of the guards, startling many of them and forcing the others to flee.

Attics saw his chance. With the horseman by his side he attacked the guards on the bridge, the other prisoners charging behind them. The captain swung his cleaver at the nearest opponent and forced him up against the wooden fence; the only structure standing between him and the endless abyss below. The captain grabbed the guard's head, tore off his helmet, bashed the man's head into the fence, then finished it off with a pommel strike to the guard's temple.

The captain turned around to brag about his small victory, but through the darkness he saw that the horseman had already subdued six guards in the time it took him to deal with one.

"Son of a..." Attics muttered as he rejoined the fray.

The fight was futile. Even with the horseman, the escaped convicts were outnumbered, out armed, and outmatched. Step by step Attics and the others were forced to retreat, as more and more guards marched onto the bridge.

The captain met the face of someone's shield, and stumbled backwards to regain his balance by the fence. As he held the structure for support Attics could feel a smooth, cold, and thick object in his hand. He blindly ran his fingers down the structure's length and discovered it was just one of many loops connected together: a metal chain.

Attics pictured the bridge in the daylight. It was relatively narrow and sturdy, extending over one of many deep crevices created ages ago by the Zora River. The bridge did not have much support underneath it, and therefore had to be suspended with four massive chains meeting in the middle.

An idea struck the captain's brain as if by lightning. "Auru! Come over here; I need your help!"

The giant's black shape tossed one of Donphes' soldiers into a group of others like a sack of potatoes, before running over to where Attics stood.

"What is it?"

"I need you to use your cannon to destroy these chains," Attics explained pointing at each of the unseen lines, "preferably at the point where they begin in the stone arches."

"What for?"

"Just trust me on this. Once the lines break, get ready to run like Hell!"

Auru set his cannon down and obeyed the captain's order. With a spark of light and a puff of smoke the first chain to the bridge came crashing down; then another, and then another.

By the third shot Attics could feel the bridge beginning to give way. It was not sturdy enough to handle so much weight on it unassisted. The captain shouted out to his troops. "Everyone! Get off the bridge! Head to the cavern!"

As the last chain fell, so did the bridge. Its wooden planks cracked in the middle and collapsed, sending a dozen of Donphes' soldiers into the depths below. Attics ran to avoid sharing the same fate, as the far end of the bridge lifted up to nose dive into nothingness. The captain heard hooves behind him, and suddenly feared that Donphes had returned to drag him down to oblivion.

To his relief the warrior from earlier rode on his horse close by. The horseman leaned over and extended a hand for the captain to grab. Attics eagerly took the opportunity and jumped on the horse behind the shadow, just before the steed made the final leap from bridge to stone.

The horse landed heavily and slowed down, allowing Attics to get a glimpse of newly formed gap between the cavern and the city. He could feel Donphes glaring at him, but it brought no fear to the captain. He simply glared right back.

"I owe you one, friend." Attics said to the horseman.

"Don't mention it." the Hero of Hyrule replied.

The horse grunted and stomped its foot in protest.

"I guess Epona doesn't like the extra weight." Link chuckled. "Mind getting off?"

Attics slid off the beast and turned to face the young man. "Damn, that's one helluva way to make an entrance." the captain joked. "Timing couldn't be any better either. Very...heroic."

The young hero laughed, "Zelda said something like that when I rescued her today. The others are out in Hyrule field already. We should meet up with them there."

Attics nodded. "Then let's get moving. Sun'll be up any minute now, and it's gonna be a long day."

**General Donphes****  
><strong>**Western Castle Town Gate****  
><strong>**6:37 a.m.**

Donphes watched the bridge come falling down, a heavy heart beating wearily in his chest. It was always tragic to see his loyal troops perish; especially in fighting against their own brothers. It was a pointless waste of life, instigated by men who were too stubborn to give in to change.

The general turned his gaze from the newly made gap to the cavern on the other side. He could feel Attics glaring at him, but it brought no fear to the general. He simply glared right back.

A Lieutenant came up behind him, going down on one knee before speaking. "Your Majesty, permission to pursue the traitors?"

Donphes almost laughed at the title used to address him. 'Your Majesty': it was a phrase he would have to grow into, but there was no one else who could fit it.

"Permission denied, Saurus." Donphes replied. "Tend to the wounded first, then close off the bridge. We will have to pour some of the restoration resources into rebuilding it.

Part of him pitied the traitors; not for their current deeds but for their past ones. He could afford to look the other way for a few days. Attics deserved that much.

"Once that is done I want you to personally lead a platoon to find out where the traitors are, captain."

The Lieutenant looked up at him, "Captain, Your Majesty?"

Donphes turned to face the man before him with a small smile. "With Attics gone, I am in need of a new officer. Congratulations on your promotion, Saurus. Make me proud."

The general was not worried about the traitors. They were stubborn fools chasing the dark of night, while also fleeing the dawn of a new day. They feared the dawn because it brought change, but he would embrace it; the sun would soon be up to light his way.


End file.
